


the next dawn should be kinder

by the_crownless_queen



Series: Sapphic September 2018 [9]
Category: Disney - All Media Types, Rapunzel (Fairy Tale), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AU where Rapunzel woke Aurora instead of the Prince doing it, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, I might write it one day, SapphicSeptember, SapphicSeptember2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 11:45:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16039829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_crownless_queen/pseuds/the_crownless_queen
Summary: “You know, it’s kind of funny, but I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without you.”Aurora shrugged, fingers playing with a loose blonde curl. “I can,” she said, and the words stuck in her throat painfully.





	the next dawn should be kinder

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Marvelgeek42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marvelgeek42/gifts).



> Written for Sapphic September, Day 9: “I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without you.”
> 
> Find us on tumblr using #SapphicSeptember or #SapphicSeptember2018
> 
> Also I ship this now? A lot? Who knew.

“You know, it’s kind of funny, but I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without you.”

Aurora shrugged, fingers playing with a loose blonde curl. “I can,” she said, and the words stuck in her throat painfully.

Rapunzel startled. “ _Ouch_!” she said, as her sudden move had caused Aurora to tug on her hair a little violently.

It was probably mostly for show, though, considering Aurora had seen Rapunzel lift at least twice her weight with that same hair on more than one occasion. Still, Aurora apologized with a wince.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Rapunzel chuckled, twisting her torso until she could lay a kiss right at the corner of Aurora’s lips.

Aurora smiled. “You’re an idiot,” she said fondly.

“But I’m _your_ idiot, right?” Rapunzel retorted, her smile as bright as the sun.

“Always.”

Aurora sighed as she allowed her eyes to wander into the distance. They were high up in one of the castle’s towers — not _the_ tower, because Aurora didn’t think she would ever be able to step foot back into the room where she’d slept for years, but _a_ tower that overlooked the rest of Aurora’s domain.

Less than two years since Rapunzel had found her and woken her up — a miracle Aurora had learned not to question — and her kingdom was already looking much better. It was no longer the cursed and abandoned ruin it had been, and soon, it might even turn back into the flourishing realm Aurora remembered from before her curse.

Rapunzel nudged her back to attention, her eyes bright with worry. There was some hurt there too, and Aurora’s heart clenched at the knowledge that _she_ had put it there.

“What did you mean, when you said that you could see your life without me?” Rapunzel asked, her voice a little hesitant.

Aurora’s heart skipped a beat, and it felt like she had something stuck in her throat. “I…” She trailed off, suddenly unsure of what to say.

She took a deep breath and started again. “It’s not that I can see my life _without you_ ,” she said, letting out a weak, bitter chuckle. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails were digging into her palms — they might even be drawing blood.

“It’s just that… God, Rapunzel, without you in my life I’d probably still be in that tower, lying in my bed, _sleeping_ —” her voice cut off, strangled, as Aurora forced her mind to ignore the awful empty memories of _emptiness_ and _darkness_.

(There had been so much darkness.)

Rapunzel blinked rapidly, her mouth falling open a little. “Oh.”

Aurora chuckled again, wetly this time. “Yeah, ‘oh’.”

Rapunzel put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close. Aurora went willingly, and she felt her body shudder against Rapunzel’s chest as she buried her head against her girlfriend’s neck.

She let out a trembling breath, holding on tightly to Rapunzel’s dress. “I’m so glad you saved me.”

Aurora felt Rapunzel smile and press a soft kiss atop her head as her hold tightened. It wasn’t painful, just warm and comforting, and Aurora’s heart ached in the best way possible.

“I’m so glad I saved you too,” Rapunzel replied, and Aurora smiled.


End file.
